The government in Samoa has made moves to protect and preserve the Samoan language for future generations.

Transcript

The government in Samoa has made moves to protect and preserve the Samoan language for future generations.

Last week, the government passed a law to declare Samoan the country's official language, as well as to set up the Samoan Language Commission.

Reporter Leilani Momoisea looked at how Samoan is used in schools, and what it might mean for Samoans living abroad:

Our correspondent in Samoa, Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia, says English has begun to dominate in the country. He says the government decided it was time to step in with the creation of the Samoan Language Commission to ensure the survival of the mother tongue.

AUTAGAVAIA TIPI AUTAGAVAIA: From the education side of the issue, to find out how come the students in Samoa are [getting] very low marks in Samoan language. So they see there is a must now for the Samoan language, not only to be a surviving language, but also to be taught to the students and the children to speak the language.

The principal of Samoa College, Reupena Rimoni, says in school, English remains the main form of communication.
He says at Samoa College students are given the option of taking up Samoan as a subject, but not all students do.
Mr Rimoni says it is not compulsory, and the school leaves it up to parents to decide whether their children take up Samoan as a subject.

REUPENA RIMONI: Some of the parents feel that most of the subjects are done in English, I think that's the main focus, because even for further studies, that's in English. As they move up to higher levels, it's all in English and I think that could be one area where parents are hesitant to have students taking Samoan, although we do encourage them, but I think the final say would be the parents.

However, Mr Rimoni says bilingual teaching is encouraged.

REUPENA RIMONI: Because although we teach them in English, there are areas where kids to explain things, we have to go back to their Samoan language to get them to understand, it is enforced during schools to use bilingual teaching.

An early childhood Samoan immersion centre in New Zealand says the Samoan government's move will have a positive effect on Samoan families living abroad. The manager of A'oga Fa'a Samoa early childhood centre in Auckland, Jan Taouma, says Samoa making Samoan the official language reinforces to families living abroad that their language is significant, and valuable.

JAN TAOUMA: Because of the colonisation of Samoa and the different regimes that have been there, English has been held up as more important often, especially you notice in sign-posts and different things when you go to Samoan, whereas now, I feel families coming over will know that their language is really important and it needs to be preserved and hopefully they will use it more at home and encourage the children to continue using it.

Jan Taouma says she hopes this also will encourage the New Zealand government to make resources available in Samoan for children here, which could then also be shared with children in Samoa.